(NewsNation) — A proposed city law would incentivize New Yorkers to report parked cars blocking bike lanes or sidewalks, according to a report from Bloomberg.
A New York City council member proposed a bill that would create a cash reward for calling in drivers who violate bike lane laws.
“A local law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to hazardous obstruction by vehicles and civilian complaints to the department of transportation for hazardous obstruction violations,” the bill reads.
Under the proposal, residents would submit a photo of the violation to the Department of Transportation, which would review the claim. Once verified, the whistleblower would receive 25% of the $175 fine.
Lincoln Restler — the council member who proposed the legislation — is a cyclist. He told Bloomberg there is a lack of enforcement in the city, which led to him drafting the proposal.
“I feel the safety risks every day that are associated with illegal parking,” Restler told Bloomberg. “It’s even more problematic for the parent pushing a stroller or a person in a wheelchair who can’t get by on the sidewalk because of illegally parked cars. That’s why we are creating, in this legislation, a new structure to bring real accountability.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Transportation told Bloomberg the agency is monitoring the legislation. It opposed an earlier model of the bill. An NYPD spokesperson tells Bloomberg they fear the legislation could lead to violent conflicts between drivers and civilians.
Should the law pass, it would be the first time civilian authority be extended to personal automobiles in New York.